TESCO'S expansion plans for Oldham have taken another giant leap forward after council planners gave the green light to a new Failsworth store - plus an extension to its existing Westwood outlet.

TESCO'S expansion plans for Oldham have taken another giant leap forward after council planners gave the green light to a new Failsworth store - plus an extension to its existing Westwood outlet.

This follows the news exclusively revealed in last week's Advertiser that the supermarket leader is central to the £35m redevelopment of the district centre at Huddersfield Road.

The Failsworth scheme, to be sited on a plot of land off Oldham Road and Ashton Road, is part of a package for the rejuvenation of the town's district centre and could be open by Christmas.

As part of the deal, Oldham Property Partnerships, the council's development partner, will construct the 88,000-square-feet store, along with car parking for approximately 550 cars.

The development will then be leased to Tesco who have to provide a new £2.5 million community centre to replace the existing facility which is being bulldozed for a new petrol station.

Planning committee members approved outline permission for the scheme, but matters were reserved for later consideration on the siting, design, external appearance and landscaping.

The opportunity for redevelopment arose following the award of a Millennium Commission grant to fund the refurbishment of the Rochdale Canal between Calderdale and Manchester.

John Bird, executive director of regeneration, told the Advertiser: "This is a significant event in the development of the centre, as it will enable the final phase of redevelopment of Failsworth district centre to be completed.

"The new development will provide a new 'anchor' store, a much improved Primary Care Resource Centre, new residential development and the opening up of the Rochdale Canal to this area."

Meanwhile, Tesco's Westwood store also got the nod to increase its floor space by about 30 per cent to 4,645 square metres.

The outlet on Featherstall Road will widen its range to sell clothing, footwear, household items and recreational goods, alongside a new confectionery department and cafe.

With the plans for a new Tesco also central to the Knoll Mill development at Greenfield, it would appear that the firm is now central to the future of many parts of the borough. It is also on course to become one of Oldham's biggest single employers.

However, not everyone is happy about that situation

Cllr Rod Blyth told the planning committe that while the Westwood expansion was smaller than the one originally refused by the Secretary of State in 1999, he feared this was "planning by stealth".

He added: "When this expansion was first knocked back nobody wanted to take the department on and prove their case. Now, five years later, they do this - what has changed?

"You might want to ask our market traders and smaller shops what they think about this."

RETAIL rivals Lidl have also been given approval to re-develop an existing store, on the small industrial estate on Jardine Way, off Broadway, Chadderton.

The new outlet will be built on the current car park, opposite the present premises, and the trading area will be 1,280 square metres - approximately double the size of the existing store.